INTRODUCTION: I have quite an eclectic and extensive background in photographic work, partly as a result of my having collected, repaired, modified, and used almost every imagineable type of photographic equipment. Although I cut my teeth with darkroom work as a child in the 1960's and spent countless hours burning up film and paper, my preferred medium is now digital. I broke into digital photography early in the game, with a little Olympus D-460, mostly for use in my scientific research. However, I quickly discovered the many advantages of digital photography. Realizing the possibilities of digital SLR photography, I hungered for years for a consumer digital SLR that I could afford. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, such creatures burst into the marketplace. It wasn't until I turned professional, in 2004, that I finally invested in a digital SLR -- my Canon EOS 10D. I later upgraded to full frame photography with the EOS 5D.
DIGITAL VS. FILM: Why digital? Why not? I've compared film and digital side-by-side, with my old EOS 10D and my EOS Elan 7n. One would expect the 35mm Elan 7n, with its slightly larger format, to outperform the 10D. However, the opposite is true. Even using the same lenses, the 10D yields a sharper image with most (all?) types of film. The difference is all the greater with my EOS 5D, whose sensor is the same size as a 35mm negative. Why does digital outperform film? It's because the grain composition of photographic film is much coarser than the pixel distribution in the digital sensor. The difference doesn't end there, though. Digital imaging results in much greater color depth and lack of color noise than film, especially in the shadow regions of the image. And that's just comparing ISO 100 film to ISO 100 digital. The advantages are absolutely huge as ISO increases. I can shoot some relatively clean pictures ditigally at ISO 1600, if I have no other choice. (See someone else's ISO 1600 results here.) However, shooting with 1600 film is marginally acceptable at best, and pushing ASA 100 film by 4 stops would be horrible.
Whether I shoot digital or film, my days in the darkroom are behind me. Digital is where it's at! All film is digitized in my film scanner, and the images go straight from there to the graphic editing software. Trying to compare one's capabilities using a competent image editor with one's capabilities using "advanced" darkroom techniques is like trying to compare one's capabiities with a computer vs. a typewriter. Simply, most of the things that can be done with standard photoediting techniques cannot be accomplished at all in the darkroom.
AUTOMATION: To say that I like digital photography is not to say that I hunger for all forms of technological sophistication. I'm actually rather old-fashioned when it comes to my photography. My EOS camera bodies are modern, full-featured, fully programmable devices that would do all the thinking for me if I wanted them to. They have all sorts of "point and shoot" modes that control every aspect of the camera's functioning. (Well, I suppose my 5D is pretty basic, but my 40D has all those modes.) I hate that stuff -- usually. Why? It's because the automatic adjustments and computations are usually wrong. While they may yield an acceptable picture most of the time, they nevertheless yield a great picture only rarely.
How old fashioned am I? Well, if I'm having to shoot lots of pictures really quickly, and if there is no time for intelligent metering, I just fly on automatic -- usually aperture priority. However, I usually shoot manually. I rely extensively on spot and incident metering and use a method that is similar to Ansel Adams' zone metering system. In short, I spot the brightest object in which I want any detail and underexpose by 2 stops with reference to that spot on a 12 bit camera (e.g. my 5D) or by 2.5 stops on a 14 bit camera (e.g. my 40D), with reference to that spot. I'll adjust the exposure down by as much as 2/3 stop if the brightest areas are highly saturated. I then spot the dimmest object in which I want detail and ensure that its EV is no more than 4 or 5 stops below the brightest object, respectively. This is a modification of the popular "ETTR" method. I usually do my spot metering with the internal metering capabilities of my camera. I particularly love my 5D, which has a very clean spot occupying 3.5% of the frame. For situations less demanding of dynamic range, I'll often take an incident reading with my trusty Gossen Luna Pro CDS, which I have carried with me, repaired, and recalibrated for decades now. (Most recently I converted it to use silver oxide cells. Read about it here.) For flash metering, I use my Sekonic Flash Master L-358. Once I've determined my exposure, I take a test shot and check the luminance histogram to determine how the exposure must be modified. Even when shooting automatically, I rely heavily on the luminance histograms to tweak my settings.
Even though I'm about a 95% manual shooter, I don't shun all automation. I have fallen in love with image stabilization technology, which is particularly useful for my most common shooting style -- handheld, in natural light. Canon was the first to develop this technology, but now everone seems to have developed their own. Canon and Nikon have theirs in-lens, and others have theirs in-body. Which is better? That's another raging debate. Cutting through all the hype, the biggest advantage of in-lens is that image stabilization is superior with very long lenses. That's because the required movements for the sensor can become enormous. The demands on lens design, with regard to the size of the image circle, can also pose limitations. The advantage for in-body stabilization is obviously that it works with every electronically coupled lens you put on it. The electronical coupling is important, because the camera has to "know" what the focal length of the lens is to stabilize correctly.
LENSES: I'm also not a prude about zoom vs. prime lenses. I do like zooms for most of what I do. Although I wasn't a fan of zoom lenses when they burst onto the photography scene back in the 1970's, they have improved markedly in their design, producing images that are nearly indistinguishable from prime lenses. The zoom lens' principal weaknesses are distortion and chromatic aberration. The former problem is easily corrected during editing. The latter problem is less pronounced, and the bulk of the lens's middle range is fairly abberation-free. And while fixed focal length lenses still give a slight (but now almost negligible) edge in image crispness, they cannot do one thing that zoom lenses do very easily. They cannot be adjusted so as to balance the relative image sizes of foreground and background. It is this feature that makes zoom lenses indispensable to artists interested in fine-tuning the composition of their images. I'm not suggesting for a moment that prime lenses don't also have their place. Primes often do something that zooms can't. They offer wider apertures. I own Canon's EF 100mm f/2.0 for those "big bokeh" portraits that only a short tele prime can deliver. (I chose it over the popular 85mm f/1.8 for its better sharpness overall, especially in the corners). I also own a few fast, classic, manual primes for odd applications.
I'm also not a prude about fast zooms. Many photographers insist that a zoom is no good unless it's an f/2.8 zoom. They insist that they can't shoot fast enough with an f/4 lens, and they can't see to focus in the dim viewfinder. To the contrary, I've had no problem focusing with f/4 optics. I admit that my viewfinder looks prettier through one of my f/2.8 lenses, and even prettier still through one of my f/2.0 or f/1.8 lenses, but I really, truly, have no difficulty focusing or composing a shot with f/4 optics. Frankly, neither does the autofocus on either my 5D or 40D, and my 10D had no problems either. The other argument that is made about f/2.8 optics is that they offer shallower depth of field than f/4 optics. I can't argue with that. They do. However, an f/2.0 prime offers even better depth of field, and the combined weight and cost of an f/4 zoom plus an f/2.0 prime is often less than that of an f/2.8 zoom alone. Getting two lenses instead of the one big one can sometimes keep one's wallet heavier and one's camera bag lighter, not to mention making one's pictures better! That's a win/win/win situation.
There's also another win associated with f/4 optics. I think these optics are designed mostly for photographers who use smaller apertures and try to maximize depth of field. (If shallow depth of field mattered as much, these photographers would be buying the f/2.8 lenses.) Considering this, the optical formulae are optimized for smaller aperture photography, rather than for the wide-open shooting done commonly with the f/2.8 optics. Because lens design involves quite a number of tradeoffs and compromises, that means that the f/4 lenses will actually deliver sharper and better images at smaller apertures than the f/2.8 optics. One need only compare Canon's 70-200 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/4 lenses to see this. The difference is slight, but it's still there.
With all this in mind, my lens collection consists of several nice f/4 zooms, combined with some f/2.0 and below primes. The collection is based on my categorization of shots into three categories: The first is extreme shallow depth of field shots, in which the object is to blur out a distracting background. In this case, foreground/background relationships mostly don't matter, so zooms are unneccessary. Fast primes, on the other hand, are essential. The second category is broad depth of field shots that attempt to get everything in focus. Smaller apertures are needed, so the slower optics optimized to those apertures perform better. Foreground/background relationships are often critical to the composition, so zooms are often essential. Fast primes are essentially useless. The last category is shots that have partially blurred/defocused elements that provide context to the picture. Zooms are again essential compositional tools for these shots, but the moderate apertures generally used for these shots allow one to use the lighter/cheaper/sharper f/4 optics anyway.
Of course this all applies just to me. If I were a sports photographer, for instance, I might want the f/2.8 zooms for their speed of focus and their low-light capabilities (e.g. photographing gymnasts). An extra stop of aperture means an extra stop in shutter speed.
PHOTOEDITING OR POSTPROCESSING: Shooting a great image with fine equipment is really only the starting point. If the image is used as-is, it might look like anybody else's well-composed vacation snapshot. That's where the miracle of modern digital photoediting (or postprocessing) comes into play, and this is where I have a competitive edge on most professional photographers. My friends and relations often joke that I should take a job with the scandal magazines, because I could be content cranking out photos of Elvis and invading Martian toad-people all day. It is not uncommon for me to take a shot, knowing that I'll have to remove a person -- or a car -- or a tree -- from the image. Or perhaps I'll need to close a drawer or combine elements of two different shots. All this work involves lots of tedious hand-work, matching of spatial resolution and light noise, and so forth. Of course every photo also requires careful correction for things such as barrel, pincushion, perspective, darkness, gamma, contrast, color balance, color saturation, etc. I currently edit my photos with Corel's PainShop Pro X, which has a reasonably nice, expert-friendly user interface. However, I will probably soon be making a move to Adobe's PhotoShop line. It's not that PaintShop Pro can't accomplish everythingthing that PhotoShop can. It's that the PaintShop Pro lineage is getting more dumbed down with each successive release, while more serious needs go almost entirely neglected, e.g. the transition from 8 bit to 16 bit processing and the need to clean up program bugs to handle much more enormous chunks of working memory. Corel's product probably needs a complete rewrite. I've waited too long for this to happen, and I've decided it probably won't happen anytime soon.
PRINTING: There are several options for printing, but they are all pretty much digital. Most people don't realize when they take their film to the lab that it is usually scanned in a digital film scanner just as soon as it dries. Then the images are printed with a commercial inkjet printer after digital contrast and color adjustments. I could of course do my own darkroom work the old-fashioned way, but I could also ride my childhood tricycle instead of driving a car. Many of my colleagues in the film world are feeling very squeezed right now, as their media are being discontinued and transitioned to digital. However, I'm already there, and I'm right at home with it.
I do most of my printing in-house. That's where I have the greatest control over the output. My printer of choice is of course Epson -- a wide-format, professional Epson Stylus Pro 4000 photographic printer. Epson still dominates the fine-art and photographic printing world. It holds patents on its piezoelectric ink ejection technology that it licenses to no other manufacturer. This technology, unlike the competitors' thermal ejection method (once called "bubble jet"), enables the generation of variablly sized ink droplets, which is important for the creation of a more smooth and natural tonal range, with less "grain." Because the piezoelectric technology is also compatible with more varieties of ink formulations, it was also Epson who first formulated archival pigment-based inks (from ground minerals), which will last at least a century without any noticeable fading. (Think of Cro-Magnon cave drawings and Egyptian hieroglyphics, which have survived pretty well over the years.) Other manufacturers have since developed pigment-based bubble-jet printing for their top photographic printers, but Epson is still the only serious player with its line of wide-carriage printers, which even prints to large, fine-art roll media. I do run some non-Epson media with my printer, including some atypical fine art papers and MIS Pro inks. I of course have to do my own color management when taking this route, so as to ensure that all the colors are correct. I do this with the XRite ColorMunki system.
The up-shot of all of this is that a large, fine-art print from my wide-carriage printer is light years beyond what the $50 inkjet printer bundled with your last computer can produce, with the smoothness and depth of tone of a quality lab print, sizing options well beyond 8 1/2" x 11", the availability of media such as watercolor paper and canvas, and the archival properties that will have the print looking just as good for your great, great, great grandchildren as it does when you first purchase it. This of course doesn't come easily. There's even a somewhat mysterious French term for such a print -- a Gicl�e, meaning a print made with sprayed ink. Yes, it does technically mean "inkjet." but the term implies a professional standard of printing, with the use of archival media and careful color management. (Now when you see the term used, you'll know what it means.) Epson wide-carriage photographic printers are of course not easy machines to use. They often wear names of endearment, such as "the beast" and "my clog monster," but my own printer's name is "Lucille." They are stubborn, cumbersome, enormously expensive, and somewhat mysterious beasts that require constant fussing and maintenance. (Read here about my experiences unclogging my Lucille.) It's taken me a while, but I feel I've really mastered mine. I think it's a love/hate sort of thing with any photographer, but nowadays the printer is every bit as much at the heart of a photographic business as the camera, if not more so.
FRAMING: At one time I would mat and frame my prints for you, but I've decided I don't want to do that anymore. Frame shops are better set up for it anyway. I'll point out the obvious here: If you buy one of my prints, you need to frame and mat it properly to protect it. Use only acid-free, archival materials. That includes the foam core backing board. The frame has a few essential components. First is the glazing (glass or acrylic), which protects the print from everyday corrosive gasses and from UV light. Acrylic is clearer and whiter in appearance than glass, and it is far more effective in blocking UV light than even UV-blocking glass, but it is also more delicate and prone to scratching. The mat and backing board isolate the print from the glass and frame. Contact with the glass could otherwise eventually result in sticking and damage to the print. Finally, any good frame shop should put a craft paper dust cover on the back of the frame. This keeps dust and insects out, and it also mostly blocks the passage of corrosive gasses to the print. It is important for it to be a paper backing. Plastic backings can trap moisture, while paper backings exchange it.
Above all, as with any other piece of artwork, find a place to hang the print where it's not sitting in direct sunlight. It can take a little sunlight, just not a lot of it. The hard truth is that any image will fade over time, no matter how printed or painted. That's why museums are darkened and why flash photography is prohibited. Archival, pigment-based prints are among the most fade-resistant media available, but they, too, will eventually fade (maybe just not in your lifetime). You can base your expectations of print longevity on the following: These media have been rigorously tested using accelerated UV exposure techniques, and they have been estimated to fade no more than 5% over a 100 - 200 year period when properly framed and hung in average interior conditions. I think that's pretty good!


Consulate General of India in Shanghai along with Lianyungang Municipal People's Government jointly organized an India-China (Lianyungang) Business and Investment Forum in Lianyungang (located in Jiangsu Province) on January 19, 2018.
2. The objective of the Business and Investment Forum was to introduce the investment opportunities available to Chinese companies in India in sectors like construction and engineering, smart cities, renewable energy, urban transportation, IT, pharmaceuticals, textiles and tourism as part of the 'Make in India' initiative.
3. The seminar was attended by the local Municipal leaders, officials and nearly 80 Lianyungang based companies together with the Indian delegation comprising of officials from the Consulate, Indian companies and two leading Chinese companies from Eastern China Region which have invested in India.
4. Ms. Wu Haiyun, Vice Mayor, Lianyungang Municipal Government in her opening remarks welcomed the Indian delegation and encouraged the participants from Lianyungang to take advantage of the seminar and explore opportunities to promote economic engagement between Lianyungang and India.
5. Mr. Anil Kumar Rai, Consul General in his address highlighted the opportunities available for the Chinese companies under flagship programmes of Government of India like 'Make in India' , 'Startup India' and 'Digital India' and underscored that recent reforms undertaken by the Government of India had improved India's ranking in 'Ease of Doing Business'. He also mentioned that India had now emerged as one of the most open economies in the world for receiving foreign direct investments (FDI), on the back of a host of liberalization measures undertaken recently by the Government. He invited Chinese companies to invest in India taking advantage of favourable policy regime, relatively lower wages, special investment privileges such as tax exemptions, and robust business environment. Consul (Commercial) Mr. Naveen Kumar made a presentation to highlight the key points of 'Make in India'.
6. Mr. Krovi Sairam, Chief Financial Officer, Sterlite Technologies Limited, in his presentation highlighted India's rapid growth in development of 'smart cities' in India and elaborated upon their contribution together with their Chinese partner, and added that Chinese companies had huge opportunities in promoting innovation in new materials across commercial and industrial applications under the flagship programmes of the Government of India like 'Make in India' and 'Digital India'.
7. Mr. Guo Rongyan, Marketing Manager from Infosys China elaborated upon the various services that could be provided by Indian IT companies, and encouraged Chinese companies to utilize the experience and expertise of Indian IT companies in upgrading their facilities.
8. Senior representatives from two leading Chinese companies based in ECR region were invited to share their experiences of investing in India. Mr. Wang Chaoyang, GM of Overseas Department of Jiangsu Jingke Group and GM of India operations (investments in India in Gujarat for production of low voltage electrical equipments) and Mr. Chaplin, Director, M/s Autohas Private Ltd. (investments in Kolkata for production of e-rickshaws) elaborated upon their experiences of investing in India and highlighted the opportunities that await the Chinese investors in India.
10. Earlier, the Indian delegation was received by Mayor Xiang Xuelong who assured all support of the officials of the Lianyungang Municipal Government in promoting and deepening of cultural and economic relations between Lianyungang and India. Consul General and his delegation also paid visit to the Lianyungang Port and Jiangsu Kanion Modern TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Research Institute and discussed about areas of cooperation.
11. It may be noted that Lianyungang (located in Jiangsu) is a key industrial hub of companies from sectors like engineering, construction, chemical, pharmaceutical, renewable energy and textile machinery among others.


text:
Part Three - Léanor
A smell of stew, probably game. The aroma had invaded the entire hut. It was her hunger that had awakened her, not without extracting her from a dream that had seemed to last forever. A dream that had extinguished her pains, a colourful and joyful dream which in these troubled times seemed impossible. Lying on the bed, she turned slowly, a man was sitting on a chair watching the fire and the boiling pot. A soldier, wearing the king's clothes, a little frail though, he must be young she thought. He turned to her, with his big blue eyes, he stared at her for five seconds, stirred a little and said:
- You're right on time and I'm pretty sure it was the smell of my stew that woke you up. It's a recipe from my mother, I'm surprised myself not to have forgotten it.
She smiled, but her still fragile face from the blows made her suffer, she sat on the bed. This room of little comfort still brought her a feeling of safety, she tried to remember the reasons which had brought her to this place. What adventures could have happened to her so that she found herself in this bed, this young man cooking for her? She still couldn't speak, she wanted to know but it was too early, she wanted to scream but it was as if the sounds of her voice were buried, like a dream where you can't run.
The man took a ladle, filled a bowl with stew and brought it her:
- My name is Pierre, he said. How do you feel?
She couldn't answer, but the smoke from the bowl did her good. A hot meal was what she needed. She grabbed a spoon and the heat filled her body and heart. She breathed in deeply.
- Léanor, she expired
- I beg your pardon?
- Léanor is my name, and I don't know how I feel.
He sat down on the bed opposite with a jug of water and two glasses. He told her how he found her, lying in front of the fortress fences. She must have walked for days to reach Lachine. She did not remember. He explained to her that she had been in bed for almost a week, that they had tried to identify her, he also assured her that no man was present during her cleaning, that women from Montreal had taken care of her injuries. She felt relieved. He explained that he thought she had escaped from an Iroquois camp and that he couldn't wait to know more.
He told her about his father, who had been kidnapped just over a year ago. All these questions, she didn't know what to say. Flashes, puzzle pieces, that's all she had. The fire, the cries, the songs, but not only. She also could remember laughter, children, almost joy. Everything was mixed.
Pierre thanked her and announced that he would come back just before sunset, he would be on call all night and needed some rest. After finishing her bowl, she lay down, closed her eyes and began to collect these lost coins deep in her memory.
Dans la Nuit Froide - ShortChapter #3
Troisième Partie - Léanor

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I didn't know this, but NERVE is actually based on a book by Jeanne Ryan. I haven't read it, but I might pick it up because screenwriter Jessica Sharzer obviously had good material to work with. The technology is more reasonable than many similar thrillers -- phrases like 'open source,' 'dark web,' and more are actually used in the correct manner.
NERVE is a game. You can play for free or pay to watch. Players win by completing dares from the watchers in the time given and move up the ranks by gaining more watchers as they complete riskier dares for more and more money. NERVE scrapes details from players' social media profiles, so watchers can tailor dares to their fears: talking to boys, heights, and more.
I appreciated that NERVE didn't focus on bad things happening to players on-screen. This isn't about seeing a bunch of teens get maimed. It's about social pressure, how much access people can gain to your life through social media, and how making risky decisions can escalate after you overcome previous challenges. I also appreciated that the main characters, like Vee (Emma Roberts), were essentially good people who are doing their best to be ethical even if it goes against the game. I particularly liked how NERVE wove a secondary character throughout the story, building well to the reveal of his true character at a climatic moment. This is a thriller that grounds its story in character.
Vee isn't the type to be a player, or so all her friends say. She can't even hit accept for the school she wants to go to, because she's afraid of her mother's reaction. (Juliette Lewis plays her mother, doing good work in a minor role.) Her brother died a few years ago, and her mother reacted by becoming smothering. But after her best friend accidentally humiliates her in public, Vee is ready to take control of her own life -- by letting complete strangers tell her what to do. Hey, she's a teenager.
NERVE is a fun little thriller with a cool look and winning characters. It wears its moral on its sleeve, but I think the earnestness works for it. Sometimes it is nice to watch a thriller with a heart instead of one that revels in nastiness. There's a place for both.
I saw a trailer for this and was instantly excited. I also think Dave Franco is a good actor, so I'm glad you liked this one. I THOUGHT it was a book, but I kept forgetting to check.


Last week during TechCrunch Disrupt SF social video service Chill set up a special Disrupt Chill lounge, which allowed people to watch and chat about TechCrunch Disrupt live in Chill's virtual home theatre environment. It was a hit, namely because of how compelling watching a live event with an audience is, even if that audience is virtual.
Because of positive user feedback regarding the Disrupt lounge, Chill co-founder Brian Norgard has decided to open this ability to create Chill lounges around live content to all users. As of today, any Chill user can create a livestream lounge simply by selecting the Live Video Stream option available in the Chill lounge creation flow. The feature supports Ustream, Justin.tv, Livestream.com, YouTube Live and Twitch.tv with more options coming soon according to Norgard.
"We had a ton of content partners reach out directly and ask us to build similar experiences for their brands," says Norgard on the influence of the TechCrunch Disrupt lounge. Chill plans on releasing more branded lounges next week, beginning with some well-known web series, wanting to focus on making event-driven content more social.
The Chill livestreams feature comes just in time for monster Facebook conference F8, which you'll be able to watch live starting at 10:30 am PST in a Chill live stream lounge here. Should be exciting.
Chill recently raised a $1.5 million angel round from Kleiner Perkins, Redpoint and TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington, among others.


Nearly 300 people volunteered their time to make the Oakdale community a better place, handling a number of service projects for the Love Oakdale effort on April 6.
Updated: April 10, 2019, 10:30 a.m.
The wet weather of the past week cleared away just in time for Saturday's Love Oakdale event on April 6, with nearly 300 volunteers lending a hand to help better the community through a number of service projects.
Volunteers gathered for coffee, donuts and some 'warm up' music provided by Mitch Fewell of Mountain View Church, then had a chance to win some prizes, with many of the items donated by the Oakdale Police Department. Finally, several speakers touched on the importance of the day and thanked those that came to donate their time and muscle to help their neighbors.
Mayor J.R. McCarty added his thanks to the crowd gathered at the community skate park for the early morning rally.
Gina McCarty also offered kudos to the committee that helped plan out and prepare for the day, noting that "you're only as good as your team" and said hers was one of the best.
New this year was a canned soup drive for local seniors, with volunteers asked to donate a can of soup.
Projects ranged from beautification at area schools to alley clean up, maintenance and clean up at the Oakdale Citizens Cemetery, projects at individual homes and more.
Kathie Hager, whose husband is a member of the Sunrise Rotary that was also involved in the cemetery clean up, said she was happy to take part.
On West H Street, Kari Conversa was working with her children, son Evin, 11,and daughter Sammy, 9,with a crew that was doing clean up in the alleyways.
McCarty added that not only were the number of volunteers up, but so were the donations and church support.
"The River Church, Calvary Chapel and Redeemer were our platinum sponsors for our T-shirts along with assistance from Life Community Church, Mountain View Church and Community Christian Reformed," explained McCarty.
The committee spent the past four months getting the projects lined up and making sure everything was in place for the special day of service.
Signs and dumpsters were proof of clean up progress at its finest, as the community of Oakdale came together on Saturday, April 6 for the annual Love Oakdale event.
Playground improvement was one of the many campus activities happening at Magnolia Elementary School on Saturday during the Love Oakdale event. Volunteers canvassed the campus and updated the four square play area, as well as the school garden and placed painted river rock in the courtyard area.
Volunteer Shannon Sherwood is all smiles after getting to pick a prize when her number was called during the opening rally at Saturday's Love Oakdale event. She said the 'Care Bear' was her choice because it was a fond memory from her childhood.


text:
Q: Re: What is .dhpcd command and how to disable it? Nowadays, my laptop frequently uses high %CPU (300%). I noticed that .dhpcd is involved in high %CPU. I could kill the process without any issue. However, it turns on automatically in about every 30 minutes. Strangely, the user is test in top (See the attached). I am wondering what it is, I would like to know how to fix or disable it completely (if it is okay). I am using ubuntu 16.04.5
The image is a capture from top while .dhpcd was on.

A: I am going to suggesting several things:

*

*Unplug your system from the internet and see if that process is still seen in the top window. If gone then perhpas some one or process installed by some one is using your CPU perhaps for data minning. Then which ever try the steps below.

*Search for it in:

*

*cronjobs

*

*sudo crontab -l: look for strange cronjobs

*systemd services

*

*sudo find / -iname "*dhpc*"

*Use top and ps:

*

*top:

*

*Start top

*press f and use the arrow keys to move and select all the fields that have to do with user and/or userid or id in general. See screen shot below.

*Use the spacebar to select the fields and the press q to quit.

Now see what PPID, SUSER, RUSER, SUID says about that process. To trace the culprit.

A: sudo crontab -l showed no crontab for root.
From sudo find / -iname "*dhpc*" ,  I found this: /home/test/.dhpcd
Also, the attached picture is capture from top.

This is the result of `'ls -al':

Quite a while ago, I created git page just for practice. Something fish is going on here..

A: Thank you all for your help, especially, George Udosen and Doug Smythies.
Some of the most practical commands were:
top : To figure out which command was taking all my CPU; I found .dhpcd was using all my CPU. Note that it is different from dhcpcd.
Googling with linux ".dhpcd": To learn what it is...
sudo find / -iname "*dhpc*" : To figure out which directory contained .dhpcd.
sudo userdel -r test : To get rid of a user test. This was because .dhpcd was executed by a suspicious user called test.
sudo deluser --system --remove-all-files test : To remove all files created by a user test.
Finally I rebooted my laptop, and the issue has gone.
Note that I didn't remember if I had created the user test. Since I don't use the account, I deleted everything related to it. I do now know if the issue would have been resolved by deleting only .dhpcd.

A: I setup a server a week ago with a very weak password/username (admin:admin) and installed some intrusion detection system I wrote just to see what would happen.
It took just a few hours until the system got hacked and .dhpcd  was installed by a malicious intruder. The tool that hides behind .dhpcd is actually xmrig an open source mining software.
So, I strongly suggest that everyone who get's here asking what this program is to reformat your system and setup better and more secure passwords.
In case you wanna know, this is the tool I wrote and used to detect the intrusion the second it happened: https://github.com/HerrMuellerluedenscheid/snitch
It basically sends you a message via telegram (or email) as soon as someone logs into your computer. It further detects changes made to your file system.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


(a) The magnetic force on a moving charge is always perpendicular to the magnetic field and hence no work is done by the field. The kinetic energy and the speed of the charged particle therefore remain unchanged.
[You might have noted the adjective 'static' with the magnetic field. If the magnetic field has a time variation, there will be induced electromotive force, which will change the speed of the charged particle (as in a betatron)].
r = mv/qB where 'm' is the mass, 'q' is the charge and 'v' is the speed of the particle and B is the magnetic flux density.Instead of a circular path, a spiral path is therefore followed by the particle.
[We have equated the centripetal force to the magnetic force].
The charged particle therefore moves along a helical path within the magnetic field.
(d) The charged particle will move along a semicircular path just before crossing the magnetic field (fig.). The direction of the curve is obtained by applying Fleming's left hand rule for the magnetic force. If the velocity of the particle is slightly greater than the velocity for traversing the semicircle, it will cross the magnetic field. Therefore, the required limiting velocity is the velocity for the motion along the semicircle within the magnetic field region.


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Q: Hibernate does not supporting TIMESTAMPDIFF for oracle Hibernate does not support TIMESTAMPDIFF for Oracle
It is giving an error in Oracle but running very fine in MySql
**Query** :select app from Application app where app.id not in ( select aml.referenceId from AuditMailLog aml  where app.id = aml.referenceId and aml.event = 'application_expiry_reminder' and aml.referenceTableName = 'application' ) and TIMESTAMPDIFF(DAY, created_date, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP()) >= 30 and status in (0,1)

Can anybody tell me what could be the alternative ?

A: This is because Oracle itself does not support the timestampdiff() function.
timestampdiff() is available in many databases, but not Oracle, DB2, nor Postgres.
Even the JDBC specification lists timestampdiff() among the functions it strongly advocates that a JDBC driver should support via an escape syntax i.e. {fn timestampdiff(x,y,z)} but unfortunately support for those functions is in practice extremely patchy.
The way to approach this problem in Oracle is to use the - operator to subtract timestamps, producing an interval, and then use the extract() function to pick apart its fields.
There is more information here:
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14200/sql_elements001.htm#BABBICGH

A: You can use DetachedCriteria for your query and Restrictions.sqlRestriction for SQL functions.


text:
We tell DTSC's story to keep the public informed
Southern California Cleanup Project Embodies the DTSC Mission
In mid-July 2015, the project team that provided environmental oversight for cleanup of a chemical distribution facility in San Bernardino County notified the community that the "corrective action" associated with the project was complete.
This was a routine announcement for Environmental Scientist Stephanie Lewis and others overseeing the work. It was significant, however, for current and future workers on the 4.3-acre Ashland Inc. property in Colton. Past site operations included a polyester resin plant, which generated styrene, polymers, silica, organic acids and ethylene wastes. These wastes were sent to an onsite incinerator, and others were stored in a hazardous waste storage area.
A Consent Agreement in 2005 required facility owners to draft several documents, and conduct soil, soil gas and groundwater investigations to determine if past site activities contributed to contamination.
These activities identified concentrations of naphthalene, cadmium, and lead in soil and benzene in soil gas. Further investigations concluded that these concentrations were limited but would require the use of a land-use covenant to restrict use to industrial purposes.
Confirming the concentrations help protect employees, while the land-use covenant adds another layer of public protection. In addition to the investigative confirmation sampling, two human health risk assessments verified the sampling conclusions.
"This kind of work goes to the heart of what DTSC does," Lewis said. "The business can continue operate, current and future employees are protected and the land-use covenant prevents any future public exposure by restricting use."
This Colton property is one of hundreds of cleanup projects that DTSC is involved with at any time. They come in a variety of sizes and are all over the state. Typically, the Department completes an average of 125 cleanups per year.
Newsroom Links
Videos (on YouTube)
Archived News Releases:
Tweets by CaliforniaDTSC


text:
Faberge Easter Egg - Third Imperial Egg
The story behind this Imperial Easter Egg, featuring a Vacheron & Constantin watch, is nearly impossible to believe.
Among other improbable events, the egg—third in a series of 50 which the House of Faberge created for the Russian Imperial Family—survived a close encounter with the melting pot. An American buyer—who purchased the artifact at a flea market for $14,000—had only one purpose in mind: Sell the object—whatever it was—for the gold it contained.
Trying to find a buyer, so he could make a quick thousand dollars, the new owner came up short. No one would pay $15,000 for the item.
It was a good thing—for the still-unidentified owner and the entire art-loving world—that no buyer of gold believed the item was worth that sum of money. When he learned the true value of his possession—around $30 million—the owner literally fell on the floor in dumbfounded amazement.
So what is the story behind this egg?
Tsar Alexander III purchased it as an Easter gift for his wife which he gave to her in the spring of 1887. It was the first of the Imperial Easter eggs over which the House of Faberge had total creative control. The only requirement, which Peter Carl Faberge and his team had to honor, was to be sure this egg—and all future eggs—contained surprises.
Finished in 1887, this jeweled Egg is ridged with yellow gold. It has a tripod pedestal, on which it stands, featuring chased lion paw feet. The stand is encircled with colored gold garlands which are suspended from cabochon blue sapphires. The stand also includes rose diamond set bows.
As for the egg, it has a beautiful diamond which serves to open it. Inside—as the surprise—is the Vacheron & Constantin watch.
No one can be sure how the third egg made its way to America. When the Bolshevik Revolution occurred in Russia, during 1917, Peter Carl Faberge lost his job as the Crown jeweler. Not only did he lose his job, he lost his company and the rights to his company's name.
He fled for his life to Switzerland, traveling in the back of a horse-drawn carriage. His entire professional world was upended by the Bolsheviks who not only confiscated Faberge's items, they took Faberge's completed works from their rightful owners, melting down what they hadn't broken-up and sold.
Around 2011, a Faberge enthusiast in America discovered an auction catalog from the 1960s. It included a picture of what looked like the missing Third Imperial Fabergé Easter Egg. Could it be the lost egg?
Journalists began writing articles about the Third Imperial Egg, but no one came forward. It wasn't until 2014, when the unwitting owner did an online Google search—for "egg+Vacheron & Constantin"—that he stumbled upon one of those 2011 articles.
Boarding a plane to London, pictures in hand, he was able to meet with an expert—Kieran McCarthy—who couldn't believe what he saw. The pictures seemed to depict the "missing" Third Imperial Faberge Easter Egg.
Flying to the States with the owner—who lived in an unnamed town, in America's Midwest, in a home overlooking a Dunkin' Donuts shop—McCarthy laid eyes on the Third Imperial Egg. It was sitting on a kitchen counter top, next to some muffins, as though it were just part of the breakfast dishes.
Verifying the object's true identity, McCarthy then told the owner how much it was worth. One can only imagine how relieved he was that no gold-buyer wanted to melt down his life-changing, flea-market purchase. Even PBS "Road Show" revelations aren't that stupendous!
It took very little time for the Third Imperial Egg to have a new owner (who is also anonymous). The purchase price, facilitated by a London dealer, was reportedly $33 million.
Fortunately, the new owner has allowed the Third Imperial Egg to be viewed by the public. It does bear a few markings which it didn't have when Russia's royal family owned it, however.
They are the scratch marks, made by would-be buyers of gold, who were trying to determine whether the little egg was worth considering. Turns out, they all turned-down the most astonishing purchase they could have ever made.
Original Release: Mar 23, 2016
Updated Last Revision: Apr 18, 2019
Image depicting the Third Imperial Fabergé Egg, created by the House of Fabergé and given by Tsar Alexander III to his wife as an Easter gift during the spring of 1887.
Bos, Carole "Faberge Easter Egg - Third Imperial Egg" AwesomeStories.com. Mar 23, 2016. Jul 17, 2019.
<http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Faberge-Easter-Egg-Third-Imperial-Egg>.
Learning Tasks	Questions to Ponder ?
Nineteenth Century Life
Revolutionary Wars
Awesome Easter Eggs - Faberge Eggs


A handy spill response kit which contains extra strength absorbent pads suitable for oil and fuel. Customers who bought this product include workshops, garages and service stations.
This handy spill response kit contains extra strength absorbent pads suitable for oil and fuel, disposal bags, absorbent socks and cable ties. This response kit offers easier cleaning of spillages with everything you need in one convenient pack. Customers who bought this product include workshops, garages and service stations.
This product is a tough, durable and simple solution to spillages. The absorbent pads and socks are easy to use without the need for specialised PPE. Specialised bags and cable ties make it easier and more convenient to dispose of used spillage items.
This product can be used to absorb oils and fuel only.
Workshops, garages, car body shops, service stations, factories, warehouses, transport depots, or anywhere an oil spill could occur.
20 x premier pads, 2 x premier socks, 2 x disposal bags, 2 x cable ties, 1 x strong waterproof vinyl clip-top bag.
Individual pads can be squeezed and re-used once; however, we recommended that pads and socks are disposed of after one use.
Each pad is made from lint-free spun-bond fabric bonded to melt-blown polypropylene sorbent, and perforated to make it more absorbent. Each sock is made with corncob, vermiculite, recycled newsprint bonded with polypropylene. This makes for a very absorbent 'sponge-like' texture, allowing it to absorb large amounts of various types of oil.


http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/home and http://www.usaid.gov. USAID works in over 100 countries to promote broadly shared economic prosperity, strengthen democracy and good governance, improve global health, food security, environmental sustainability and education, help societies prevent and recover from conflicts, and provide humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural and man-made disasters.
USAID provides assistance in five regions of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia, and The Middle East .
USAID headquarters are located in Washington, D.C.
NOT an official USAID site.


After the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been in the Salt Lake Valley about ten years, many other people were also beginning to travel and settle in the West. Development and progress swept through the Utah Territory and the Saints began feeling pressured and threatened once again. Some felt there was much unrighteousness among the Saints which needed to be weeded out. Others felt they were already being punished for wickedness among them through such manifestations as a crop destruction in 1855. Many Saints felt there were more hardships coming and that they needed to prepare for them. All of these things were factors in the Mormon Reformation of 1856–57.
"The Church needs trimming up, and if you will search, you will find your wards contain branches which had better be cut off. The kingdom would progress much faster, and so will you individually, than it will with those branches on, . . .
"I would like to see the works of reformation commence, and continue until every man had to walk to the line, then we would have something like union, . . . Purify yourselves, your houses, lots, farms, and every thing around you on the right and on the left, then the Spirit of the Lord can dwell with you" (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., Liverpool, 1854–86, III, 60–61).
With the threatening approach of a Gentile society pressing in all around them, many Mormon leaders felt it a necessity to rededicate the Church's members to righteousness or to have them leave the Church altogether, if they were unwilling to live up to the Church's standards. Both through public preachings and through private catechizing, members rededicated themselves to the building of God's kingdom on the earth through being rebaptized. Many who would not live up to a higher standard were thrust out of membership.
"In general the effect of this movement was to arouse the people to new religious consciousness, but for some who had lived through the persecutions of Missouri and Nauvoo and whose covenants included a hope that God would avenge the death of the Prophet and the sufferings of His Saints, the Reformation served to encourage fanaticism. It also helped to cement their group solidarity and make them feel that Zion must stand together against the sins of the world.
"In awakening the Saints to their duties, the Reformation also seemed to set them more directly against the government officials who, they felt, were ruling without consent of the governed. Thus frictions were aggravated and tensions became more strained" (Mountain Meadows Massacre, Stanford, 1950, 8).
"Observing cleanliness in their persons and dwellings, setting their families in order, carefully cultivating their farms and gardens, and not to feel so anxious to have more land that they could not attend to themselves; to gather into and build up the fort and settlement, and concluded by praying that all those who did not feel to do right might have their way opened to leave the people and Territory, and that those who did not come forward and do their first works [be rebaptized], let them be unto you as heathen men and publicans, not numbered among the Saints" (Deseret News, September 24, 1856).
"We need a reformation in the midst of this people; we need a thorough reform, for I know that very many are in a dozy condition with regard to their religion; . . .
"You are losing the spirit of the Gospel, is there any cause for it? No, only that which there is in the world. You have the weakness of human nature to contend with, and you suffer that weakness to decoy you away from the truth, to the side of the adversary; but now is the time to awake, before the time of burning. . . . notwithstanding all that has been taught, still the people are full of idolatry, the spirit of contention and the spirit of the world . . .
"Well, I just say, my brethren and sisters, it cannot be suffered any longer, a separation must take place; you must part with your sins, or the righteous must be separated from the ungodly" (Journal of Discourses, IV, 45, 52).
"About a week before we arrived, a work of reformation had been efficiently started, and we were just in good time to share its cheering effects with the people. As good an evidence of this as I can offer, may be found in the fact, that on Sunday and Monday, at a conference of the Territory, it required strong efforts of the Presidency and others, to raise between fifty and sixty teams to go and bring in our brethren coming by the hand-carts on the Plains; whereas, on the last Sunday but one, a few remarks from brother Kimball to a congregation of this city only, induced one hundred and fourteen to give their names to furnish teams, and one man put down fifteen yoke of cattle. The change in the feelings of the people is indeed wonderful already, and yet it has but just begun. Bishops are dropped, and their counselors, when slothful at their duties, or when ruled by their wives, so are the Teachers, if they did not perform their duties, which are, to know every man and woman in their several districts, and to live their religion themselves. Misdeeds are not only publicly denounced but the doers and their deeds are named before the public congregations. . . . A thorough waking up has commenced, that must reach the habitation of every Saint in Utah, and then extend to every Mission and Branch of the Church throughout the earth. Therefore, dear brethren, cry aloud, and spare not, show unto the people the awful consequences of sin, that they may obtain strength from God, to keep His commandments, and sin not" (Quoted in History of Utah, 1847–1869, Andrew L. Neff, Salt Lake City, 1940, 548–54).
Have you shed innocent blood or assented thereto?
Have you betrayed your brother?
Have you contracted debts without prospect of paying?
Have you labored faithfully for your wages?
Have you coveted that which belongs to another?
Have you taken the name of the Lord in vain?
Do you preside in your family as a servant of God?
Have you paid your tithing in all things?
Do you teach your family the gospel of Salvation?
Do you speak against your brethren or against any principle taught us in the Bible, Book of Mormon, Book of Doctrine & Covenants, revelations given through Joseph Smith the prophet and the Presidency of the Church as now organized?
Do you wash your body and have your family do so as often as health and cleanliness require and circumstances permit?
Do you labor six days and rest or go to the house of the Worship on the seventh?
Do you and your family attend ward meetings?
To stop ward teachers and missionaries from becoming self-righteous and condescending in their duties of catechizing ward members, they were given instructions to tell the ward members to make restitution for their sins to those they had injured and to their bishops, if necessary. Those administering the questions were instructed to not pry into sins which were personal and between and individual and the Lord.
Another forerunner to and part of the reformation was the re-institution, in part, of the Law of Consecration, which the Saints had been given while in Ohio and Missouri, but which they had failed to live fully. Now the Saints were strongly encouraged to sign over all their deeds to the Church in order to help build the Kingdom of God and to bring them closer together in unity. About one-third of the Saints did this between 1855 and 1856, including Brigham Young, who signed over $199,000 in property to the Church ("The Mormon Reformation," Gustive O. Larson, Utah Historical Quarterly, vol. 26, 47–48).
Much focus was placed on sins of chastity and fidelity during the reformation as well. Anti-Mormons continued to attack the Mormon practice of polygamy and accused the Mormons of all kinds of immorality. However, since so much emphasis was placed on these sins in the reformation, the misconceptions already held by the anti-Mormons seemed to be confirmed. Church leaders were more concerned with purging the Saints of sins, however, and the reformation seemed to accomplish its goal. During its peak, the reformation reached all areas of life and, near its end, Brigham Young declared that its effects had lifted a huge burden of care from his shoulders. Most of the Church membership had been rebaptized as a sign of their recommitment to living the gospel. Some people had been excommunicated for refusing to repent of their sins, and others had left the territory. The practice of rebaptism slowly died out and now is only permitted in the Church for members who have been excommunicated, have gone through the repentance process, and wish to be readmitted as members of the Church.
Though the reformation had ill effects as well as good, the net effect was to encourage a higher standard of living among the Saints. They needed to set themselves apart from the world in order to survive as a group when non-Mormons began settling in the Utah Territory. Though there were definitely some fanatical areas and people involved in the reformation, it was intended for good, and Church leaders felt it accomplished its purpose.
"The Mormon Reformation," Gustive O. Larson, Utah Historical Quarterly, vol. 26, 45–63.


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Andrew Tate claims case against him 'empty'
Mark Zuckerberg Facebook May Actually Be in a Stronger Position After Apple's Disappointment
WhatsApp's Head of Public Policy Will Cathcart Dishes on Apple and Signal India
Find Lost Stuff With Samsung's New SmartTags
Маrk Наrmоn
Аmу Fіѕhеr bio
Zynga founder Mark Pincus
zuckerberg clubhouse facebook apple idfa facebook
Zoopla
Zeno Ventures Post navigation
Sitetracker raises $42 million to bring huge knowledge insights to vital infrastructure management
H.I.G. Growth Partners and Energize Ventures jointly led a $42 million series C round of fundraising for Sitetracker, a multi-site project management tool created to track and manage crucial infrastructure projects.
Sitetracker, based in Palo Alto, was founded in 2013 and enables businesses in sectors including energy, telecom, and electric vehicles (EVs) to remotely deploy and maintain all of their physical assets while gaining real-time data and insights through reports and dashboards. Salesforce's AI-powered Einstein Analytics, which uses historical data mining to provide predicted insights, contributes to making this possible. It enables Sitetracker users to make more precise projections for each milestone and project completion date, for instance, depending on market circumstances, legal frameworks, vendor relationships, and other factors. Additionally, Sitetracker has enterprise platform integrations with third parties that cover data warehousing, accounting, CRMs, ERPs, and more.
Building a metaverse that people will actually use: MetaBeat
According to Sitetracker CEO Giuseppe Incitti, the platform is intended to replace outdated systems that have been "frankensteined together" and are ill-equipped to handle the demands of project variety and volume. Sitetracker claims "a single source of truth" by combining all project data into a single platform, as opposed to the common practises of using disconnected spreadsheets, clipboards, and other different tools.
According to Incitti, "Sitetracker helps infrastructure firms both detect and reduce inefficiencies across massive deployments."
The previous $45 million in funding for Sitetracker included a $10 million series B investment in 2019. Its most recent increase coincides with President Biden's announcement of a $2 trillion plan to restore American infrastructure, with renewable energy at its foundation. This plan covers green spaces, water systems, electrical grids, and other areas. Platforms like Sitetracker are in a good position to expand as a result of this.
The volume of wind, solar, EV charging stations, and battery installations would significantly grow under the Biden plan, as will the number of personnel required to make these projects a reality, according to Incitti. "Sitetracker is ideally positioned to operate as both a vehicle to ensure infrastructure operators can deploy swiftly and affordably to meet their aims and a competitive edge to those businesses wishing to hire and build their personnel base methodically," says the company.
The business announced plans to accelerate its worldwide growth and product roadmap with an additional $42 million in cash on hand, which comprised investments from Salesforce Ventures, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), National Grid Partners, and Wells Fargo Strategic Capital.
Joebiden plan
National Grid Partners
New Enterprise Associates
sitetracker 42m series
sitetracker 42m seriessawersventurebeat
Wells Fargo Strategic Capital
Project Jengo Redux: Cloudflare's Prior Art Search Bounty Returns
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Elon Musk owns Twitter: The story so far
Elon Musk owns Twitter, good morning. Let's catch you up on the whirlwind that was the new "Chief…
People Data Labs Raises $45M in Series B Funding
Developers, engineers, and data scientists can use People Data Labs' APIs to create new data-driven solutions thanks to…
Mighty Buildings Raises $40M In Series B Funding
Construction technology business Mighty Buildings 40m series khosla ventures zeno, situated in Oakland, California, raised $40 million in Series…


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NJ News
Doctor's Opinion
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Philadelphia News - FOX 29 Philadelphia
Children's Programming Public Reports
Closed or IP Captioning
Royal Caribbean cruise ship caught in storm
MY9NJ
A cruise ship that is headed to Port Canaveral getting slammed by a strong storm in the Atlantic. Royal Caribbean's "Anthem of the Seas" was hit hard when it was off the coast of the Carolinas overnight. There are reports that waves reached over 30 feet. The "Anthem of the Seas" left New Jersey Saturday before getting caught in category 2 hurricane force winds.
Monday morning Royal Caribbean International released the following statement: "On Sunday, February 7, while sailing to Port Canaveral, Florida, Anthem of the Seas experience extreme wind and sea conditions, with wind speeds higher than what was forecasted. In an abundance of caution, the Captain asked all guests to stay in their stareroom until the weather improved. At this time there have not been any serious injuries reported. The ship has sustained some damage to the public areas and guest starerooms, which in no way affect the sea-worthiness of the ship."
This morning the United States Coast Guard did not receive any distress calls from the ship overnight. The USCG was aware of rough seas in the area and that they would reach out to the ship to check if everything is okay, but they do not appear overly concerned with the situation given no calls to them were made.
We'll have more on this story as it develops.
Louie Anderson, actor and comedian, dies at 68
Dept. of Defense identifies 2 Marines killed in North Carolina crash
Fulton County DA asks for special grand jury in Trump election probe
California bill would allow preteens to get vaxed without parents' consent
Ivy League professor says her students think most Americans earn six figures
US students hold walkouts amid omicron surge, calling for more stringent measures
'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli banned from pharmaceutical industry for life, ordered to pay $64.6M
FedEx wants anti-missile lasers on planes
What is a home equity line of credit and how does it work?
What is a limited cash-out refinance and how does it work?


If you are looking for an exciting gift this year for your children that will enhance and intrigue their minds, then look no further. The Makey Makey, The Original Invention for Everyone is the perfect choice. Children can use their imagination along with a computer and have fun for hours.
Makey stands for 'Make' + 'Key', which equals Makey. Children can turn objects into a touch pad. Instead of using a keyboard, the creation that is made will be the keyboard. The MaKey MaKey, The Original Invention Kit for Everyone is great for young minds from the ages of six through fifteen, but great for adults too.
Anything is possible and can be created when young minds create and use their imagination.
Why Choose the MaKey MaKey, The Original Invention Kit for Everyone?
Why choose the Makey Makey, The Original Invention for Everyone? Wouldn't you want to inspire your child or friend to use their imagination by creating something unique, and productive instead of playing video games? Too many kids are playing video games, but with the invention kit they can take actually use their brain and imagination to create fun and exciting touch pads and keyboards.
The Makey Makey, The Original Invention for Everyone was developed at the MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten research. It's a gift that continues to give, because everything can be turned into a creation. The invention kit is safe for everyone. It is affordable, and there are no programs to download to use the invention kit.
The Makey Makey, The Original Invention for Everyone is currently being sold on Amazon.com. The invention kit has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating. Customers are saying that the invention kit is easy to use, and is so much fun. The invention kit is a great teaching tool that provides hours of fun and entertainment. There are people at colleges using the invention kit and creating exciting touch pads. This is something that is never outgrown, but can be great for the whole family.
"How it works, in a nutshell, the makeymakey allows you to replace your arrow keys and left/right mouse buttons with anything conductive. To start the class, We attached the ground to a static band which the user wore (this took care of ground) then showed the kids how to make a drum set out of play dough. THe alligator leads were stuck into the play dough and conductivity and electronics ensued amongst drum rolls. The device was a big hit and even the parents had to get involved.
Presently at Amazon.com the MaKey MaKey, The Original Invention Kit for Everyone has 54 reviews. Almost all of them are positive but we recommend that you click on the link and read them all before purchasing.
The Makey Makey, The Original Invention for Everyone can be purchased at Amazon.com for about $50.00 plus Free Shipping. The convenience of having it shipped right to your front door plus Amazon's great customer service makes them the best buying choice.
Christmas is approaching fast, and the MaKey MaKey, The Original Invention Kit for Everyone is the perfect gift for children, teens, and adults. It provides a way to get kids to use their imagination. The Makey Makey, The Original Invention for Everyone actually gives back, because a different creation can be created each time. Hours of enjoyment and creativity will occur. The Original Invention Kit for Everyone is selling fast currently, so make sure you order early, so you can ensure that you have this gift purchased before it is too late.


illegally singled out by police officers based solely on their skin color.
law making it a crime.
stop until justice is ours."
because, they were told, they were more likely to be drug traffickers.
Trooper Hogan and knocked him to the ground.
that both men had been carrying out the policies they had been taught.
counseling before being rushed back into duty.
employed you," the judge said, issuing each man a penalty of a $280 fine.
by agreeing to pay a $12.9 million settlement to the victims.
community. When the shooting took place in 1998, it came to dominate Gov.
monitor to oversee the state police.
take steps to end the practice if elected.
single out Middle Eastern men.
But in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last November, Mr.
decree and agreed to allow a court-appointed monitor to oversee the department.
the measure was blocked in the State Assembly.
Kenna were taught to single out drivers based on their skin color.
responsible for teaching and rewarding profiling had never been punished.
officer has been removed from employment with the New Jersey State Police."
they also directed brief apologies to the three men who were wounded.
said, speaking to a mass of reporters and television cameras. "I'm sorry."
again be victims of these troopers."